The rapid reduction that has recently occurred in the size of automobiles has created a demand for safety devices to increase the survivability of collisions at medium to high speeds. Without the substantial amount of compressible sheet metal heretofore available in the automobile for protection during a crash, the driver is exposed to a risk of serious injuries and fatalities to a much greater degree than in the past. Furthermore, demands for lighter weight and greater fuel economy in automobiles makes it almost a certainty that the trend toward smaller, and heretofore more dangerous, automobiles is irreversible. As the size of the vehicle has decreased, a further drawback has been realized in that it is more difficult to utilize aerodynamic styling without sacrificing functionality. The trade-off faced by the designer is now between a sleek vehicle with a low drag coefficient and a small vehicle of light weight.
The present invention overcomes most of the problems described above through the provision of an inflatable vehicle extension that enhances the aerodynamic qualities of the vehicle, maintains a generally small size and weight of the vehicle and provides a safety factor not heretofore available in even the largest of vehicles.